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FARMINGTON — Judge Michael DiReda told a Layton man who murdered his wife and her parents that three consecutive life sentences is an act of mercy.
"Your life has been spared. You were extended mercy that you were unwilling to extend to your wife and her parents. … Here you are the beneficiary of that very mercy," the 2nd District judge told Jeremy Lake Bailey on Tuesday.
Bailey, 34, was sentenced to three terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole for three counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. The life sentences will run consecutive with each other. He pleaded guilty to the charges in October.
The judge said under the initial charges the death penalty would have been a possibility, but prosecutors negotiated a plea deal that took that option off the table.
DiReda told the many family members of the victims — Anastasia Stevens, 34, Rebecca "Becky" Stevens, 61, and Donald Stevens, 73 — the sentence will not "restore the void" or bring them joy or peace. He said their deaths were not just a loss for their families, but also to Bailey's family, and said he hopes the pain fades for all of them over time.
"It's a heavy burden to carry that loss," he said, noting that he found the comments from family members both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.
Many of those who spoke asked the judge to honor the agreement in the plea deal for consecutive life sentences, even though one sentence of life without parole would prohibit Bailey from ever being paroled. They shared stories and grief associated with each of the victims.
About 9:45 a.m. on May 19, Bailey called 911 to say he had just killed his wife at their Layton home, 1832 E. Gentile Street. When officers arrived, they also found the bodies of her parents, who were visiting from Nevada, along with the bodies of three of her dogs who had also been killed.
Charging documents said Bailey went to Sportsman's Warehouse after shooting the victims to buy ammunition, and then posted about his actions on her Facebook page before calling police.
Deputy Davis County attorney Nathanael Swift said the case was "as tragic of a case" as it could be. He said there is evidence Anastasia Stevens called for help after she was shot once, and then Bailey "point-blank executed her" with a second shot. He said her mother was also "executed" after Bailey shot her multiple times, and her father was also "executed" after hearing his daughter and wife be murdered.
Tami Seipert cried as she talked about how the death of her last remaining sibling, Donald Stevens, impacted her. She said after their parents died her older brother was like a father to her, and talked about how she will never get a holiday or birthday call from him again. She said the pain is "so real" and is not something she can push away.
"We all are in pain for something that we had nothing to do with," she said.
Seipert spoke about a time she had reached out to Bailey at a funeral, invited him to sit with them, embraced him and told him he was family. She said her brother and his wife also accepted him as family.
"Why couldn't he have just walked away … there's no reason for this whole thing," she said.
Wes Chisnall lost his mom, stepfather and sister in the shooting; he thanked the prosecutors and the Layton Police Department for their work to bring the facts of the case to the court.
"Even though they're no longer here, they will never be forgotten. I will never forget the childhood that I had because of Becky and Anna," he said.
Chisnall's wife talked about how the death has impacted their children; she said her in-laws were looking forward to a retirement where they could share their love of Harley Davidson, camping and exploring with their grandchildren.
"His cowardess took the lives of a mother, a father and a sister. In the blink of an eye, he left my husband without his family. He stole the innocence of my children's youth; his actions have created a ripple in their life that will be forever felt," she said.
She said Bailey held her sister-in-law's life "hostage" and took away her opportunity for a loving marriage by taking her life the day before their second wedding anniversary.
Anastasia Stevens' aunt, Tina Wells, spoke about telling her sister and Anastasia's birth mother, Nina Wells, about her death after hearing about it from her daughters. She said it was the worst day of her life and it "hurts her every day."
Nina Wells stood by her sister and also said a few words.
"This is my baby ... I'll never heal. Three consecutive life sentences, please," she told the judge.
Bailey chose not to speak at the sentencing, but his attorney, Jonathan Nish, said he agrees the resolution for the case is fair.
"This was a serious case that could have been a lot worse than it is now," he said.
He told the court that Bailey wanted to take responsibility from the beginning, but Swift contested that claim, saying jail phone calls show Bailey continues to blame the victims.
Correction: A previous version misspelled Jeremy Bailey's first name as Jeremey.
